I’ll meet you again for the second first time
by RuBonn
Summary: In another world devoid of the magic of Clow, Sakura lives life like any normal 16 year old girl would, till she is introduced to Meilin's cousin, the world renown model Li Syaoran, then the peaceful life she had known comes abrubtly to an end... SxS
1. The beginning

**I'll meet you again for the second first time**

Hiya pplz this story isn't set in the same world as CCS, nope, sorry but there will be no Clow Cards (perhaps not in card form anyways). It'll probably have some elements the same.

Sakura is a 17 yr old girl attending high school and her best friends Melin (yup she stays) is an apprentice of a kung-fu master, Tomoyo is heiress to her mother's Daidouji company and owns her own clothing label. Syaoran is a (can you guess?) model at an international state (of course, why not go far out when I can, seeing as this is a fanfic and all)

Well, S and S are meeting for the first time in this story… an international model and a school girl… oh did I mention that they liked the same person? (I wonder who that could be)

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the CCS characters nor did I create the plotline of the anime or manga (sorry, brain capacity is too inferior) so don't procrastinate at my feet, all that attention should be directed at CLAMP, the rightful owners kay?

Well let me shut up and let's get on with it

Love RuBonn

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_I'm finally going to meet Meilin's cousin! _Sakura's heart gave a little leap as she moved hastily about her room. A weary Kero hovered a safe distance behind her before giving up and settling on her bed. He watched as she attempted to multitask, as the room was distorted into a one-man (A/N not trying to be sexist) battlefield. Her hair gained more knots with each stroke; the top she had selected with her friend Tomoyo's help was pulled halfway down her torso whilst the dress still hung limply on the clothes hanger. She had a backpack for the day's trip beside her bed, torn open as wide as it would go, and even then it barely caught the items she wanted to take as they sailed across the room in a haphazard manner.

'Ow, ow, ow!' Sakura struggled with the most recent knot before giving up and tossing the hairbrush onto the bed, missing the poor yellow lion by a hair's breath.

'Calm down Sakura! I don't know why you are getting so worked up over that brat's relative. I mean big deal! You have a male relative too and you know very well what HE's like, so why bother with another one?' Kero shivered involuntarily as the face of Sakura's older brother Touya popped up.

Kero was born with the gift of speech, even as an animal, he was able to vocally voice his opinions (and boy was he good at that!) and so he was sold off to a circus for his freakish abilities. By the work of a miracle, he escaped from the circus and became part of a pack of strays in the street. However on one of the pillages, in search for food, he became isolated from the pack and was left behind. As it turned out he was caught red-handed by the owner of the shop and faced a series of beatings from a rolling pin.

Aching and bone-thin from starvation, Kero had debated many times whether to plead for help or for a morsel of food, but ever time he looked back at the days at the circus, death seemed a more appealing idea than reliving the experiences he received from that ruthless place. Then as fate should see to it, he was rescued once more, by a 'dark angel', the title Kero always indentified the savior with whenever Sakura should be bold enough to ask, and was nurtured back to health from his near-death state, and the finally one day, entrusted into the hands of Fujitaka, who in turn, gave him to his young daughter, Kero's current owner, Sakura.

Only a handful of people knew of Kero's little quirk: the ringmaster, the other captives in his show back at the circus, his savior, Sakura and her two closest friends the boisterous tomboy, Meilin and gentle Tomoyo. However Sakura's older brother Touya has come close to uncovering the secret way too many times for Kero's comfort. The college graduate's sharp senses were a danger to the little creature, and his piercing black eyes always made Kero feel that they were staring right through him as opposed to simply looking at him. It unnerved Kero to no end, day and night he was haunted by the very thought of even a glimpse of that person.

'HOEEEEE!' Kero winced as she caught her foot on the edge of her floor covering and landed on the carpet floor with a heavy thud.

'Like I said! Calm down, or you'll just end up-'

'Kaijuu?' Kero froze at the sound of the door being flung open. Touya barged, and then seeing his sister merely scratched, regained his air of cool calmness, that, to Kero, had just sent the room's temperature plummeting down beyond freezing point.

'Who were you talking to?' He raised an eyebrow as if to point out the foreign voice he heard.

'Who was I talking to?!?' Sakura hastily picked herself up and rearranged herself protectively between her bed and her brother, 'Talking? Nobody- I mean who else would be in this room, it's not like we own a talking animal or anything.'

Kero broke out into a cold sweat as Sakura produced a shrill laugh, realizing the slip she had made, 'Umm I was just… practicing the conversation with Meilin's cousin, you know, Li Syaoran who arrives from Hong Kong today. We're all going to meet him at the airport, Tomoyo, Melin and me.'

Touya visibly cringed at the mention of the boy's name and shook it off with a shake of his head. 'Uh huh.' He responded in a monotone, Sakura had chattered on animatedly about this cousin of Meilin's who would eventually stay for a semester or two as a student on the rotary exchange program to learn Japanese. All of Meilin's enthusiasm had been soaked up by the empathetic Sakura like a sponge, all these sentences about some unknown guy were naturally rolling off the tip of her tongue had infuriated him to no end. No logical reason as to why it had such an effect on him, Kero would, if he could, have suggested it was jealousy, but then even if that comment ever saw the light of day, Touya would never have admitted it.

Sakura jumped up and began to push Touya out of her room. 'Look, I'm already late and I need to pack so, Get. Out. NOW!' Unfortunately, due to the obvious different in height, age and weight, she was only successful in slipping once more and giving herself a carpet burn.

She rubbed her sore knee and moaned, the looked up pitifully at Touya. He raised his hands up, half in surrender and half in defeat. 'Okay, Okay, I get it. Get out right? So you can pack for you little field trip' he edged out the door, almost swinging it shut before poking his head back in and gave an intense stare at Kero before saying, 'Well try not to tear the house down with your massive feet, alright?'

'I do NOT have massive feet!' Sakura retorted, but was stalking to the door; he had closed it in time to evade the brush aimed in his direction.

The brush bounced off the wooden door and landed with a clatter on the floor. Sakura and Kero sighed in unison, both collapsing into a heap on their spot.

"Your brother suspects something,' Kero pointed out after listening intently to the receding sound of footsteps.

'My brother always suspects something, but you're right… Arrgh! Why won't my hair stop tangling itself?'

'Maybe if you stopped tangling it- Okay okay, I give!' Kero ducked under the covers to avoid another object that flew in his direction, this time a teddy bear. Kero gave the toy a look of pity and sat it upright next to him, 'You're right, she really needs stop freaking out over this stupid guy.' He made the bear's head nod in agreement.

'He's not just some guy! He's Meilin's cousin AND a professional model at that! Really how many people do you know are an international model at the age of 17?'

'Well Tomoyo is co-president of her mother's company and owns her own line of clothing.'

Sakura opened her mouth with a comeback but there was a knock on the door, they froze, thinking it was Touya again and breathed out a huge sigh of relief when they heard a soft voice saying, 'Sakura? It's Tomoyo.'

Hallelujah! Kero thought, with Tomoyo here it was more likely that Sakura could make it out of the door before sunset.

'Come in.' the brunette sounded as relieved as he was.

The door slid open and from behind it, emerged Tomoyo, dressed in a billowing purple dress. Her dark waves held back only by a wide brimmed velvet hat that was tilted to one side, trailed softly behind her as she quietly slipped in. The dress, also velvet was tastefully cut to suit the latest trends and lined with lace that swayed with her every step. Slung over her shoulder was a large indigo duffle bag with a side pocket to her life's treasure, her G5 62 camcorder with the latest technology, the newest model developed by the Daidouji Company and was yet to be released into the market for public or even for private sale.

Tomoyo's goal was to capture her 'kawaii Sakura's' every move on tape and someday create a large film production for the company or simply for her to enjoy at home. As to why she would want to do that was a complete mystery to Sakura. She wasn't particularly pretty or cute,, or so she thought, she knew she wasn't fat but she lacked that seductive appeal that models and stars have. She was more a plain, athletic girl, whose passion was rollerblading and cheerleading. She had begun to take up traditional Japanese dancing with her all time crush Yukito who just happened to be her brother's best friend. Initially, she had no interest in dancing, but watching Yukito's subtle flowing movements on stage moved her to giving it a go. Besides it was like a form of cheerleading, but more confined movements (she was working on that), and it meant that she had an excuse to see Yukito almost every single day!

Tomoyo dropped the massive duffel bag she carried and gently placed her precious camcorder in the ground before taking one look at Sakura's room and gasped.

'Oh my! I see I've come just in time.'

'Sure have.' Kero agreed readily and Sakura smiled sheepishly.

'I guess I've been a bit jumpy this morning,' she admitted as Tomoyo approached her, lugging the bag behind her. The raven haired girl took one look at Sakura's disheveled appearance before sighing sadly and took Sakura's hand in her own pale ones.

'Such, a pretty face, Sakura-chan's hair is sticking out in all directions like a bird's nest, how cute!' Sakura sweatdropped and laughed uncertainly, 'Oh well, there's not much time left, Melin said we were to meet her at the airport by 8, the plane arrives at 8:30.'

Sakura glanced at the clock on her desk, 'But it's already 7:26! We'll be late.'

'Don't worry my dear Sakura-chan.' With a snap of her fingers, 2 bodyguards appeared at the doorway making Sakura jump with a 'HOE!', then she sighed, _I should get used to it already_, with Tomoyo as the heiress and co-president of the famous Daidouji company, there were always body guards at hand. 'The car is parked outside, we can get ready in there without losing time, and I've made a new outfit for you, I made it last night and this one simply will not do. Come on, let's go, Kero too, I'll need your help.' She led Sakura out gently and gave an outstretched hand in Kero's direction.

He almost let slip an 'all right!' but stopped just in time, with an 'eep' he nodded and obediently flew to rest on Tomoyo's shoulder.

When Tomoyo said car, she meant a state of the arts vehicle with a spacious inbuilt closet, seats and a vanity, makeup kits and a full length mirror. And when she said 'we' she meant Sakura only.

She followed her elegant cousin out whilst fighting the waves of nausea that were crashing over the very core of her being. What would this Li Syaoran be like, she kept thinking, and most importantly,

'Would he approve of her?'


	2. Caffiene shot

**I'll meet you again for the second first time**

**Chapter 2**

**Caffeine shot**

Just some quick notes for this chapter:

_Dono_ is suffix used to address a person that you respect or acknowledge that their ranking is above yours

_Hai_ means 'yes' in Japanese

_Chan_ as you may have encountered in the first chapter is a suffix used between close friends (usually girls), it is a way of addressing people that has cute connotations

_Kyaa~!_ Is simply an exclamation made by girls in the place of an ear-blasting squeal

Okay! On with the story!

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It was spring, the time of blossoming young love blooming alongside the Sakura flowers, or, in the English language, Cherry blossoms. The Sakura's fleeting but legendary beauty attracts thousands of tourists every year, and invites them to experience a relaxing meal away from the stressful life at home, under the gentle rain of pink petals.

However there was an individual who wasn't enjoying the sweet scent of pollen in the air, but instead, was trapped in an overcrowded airport, cursing the tourist season for bringing such a large hoard of foreigners to that particular airport on that particular day. The flood of people meant her entrapment in that mass, making it exceedingly difficult to locate her two friends who were due almost 20 minutes ago.

Meilin bit her bottom lip in vexation, Where were they? Her lashes brushed against her fringe as she scanned the crowd for the familiar honey-brown, tousled hair or a crown of silky black hair pulled up in a sleek hair-do…but no such luck. Her foot began tapping out of habit and her gaze fell on the digital numbers on the flight board, displaying the current time.

8:19 she chewed on her lip and began playing with her hair, her eyes flickering to the clock every few seconds as her nerve began to get the best of her.

The digits changed.

There was only10 minutes till Syaoran's flight was due, and she hoped they would arrive before her cousin did. Her hand flew to her pocket and drew out a vermillion cell phone. Flipping it open, she dialed Tomoyo Daidouji's number…

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'Tomoyo-chan, I told you there was no need for make-up! Now we're running late and poor Meilin is probably pulling her hair out!'

'No Sakura-chan! You mustn't touch the make up or you'll smudge it!'

*pop*

''But I look like I'm going to a red carpet event or something! Surely make -up isn't necessary for a simple meeting like this.'

'But Sakura-chan, you look so sweet!'

'HOEEEE!'

*pop* There was a crash and the clatter of items toppling.

'Sakura-chan! Are you alright? Good thing I made the dress stain resistant.'

'Oof! Tomoyo, I think this jacket is a bit too fancy, and these platforms are hard to kyaa~! ... walk in.'

*pop pop*

'But they match the outfit, and Sakura-chan looks so cute! Just as I had imagined, but now that I see you wearing it, it's even better than I anticipated!'

*pop* another vein popped on Kero's head, bowed down towards his crossed arms and legs. He had his tail curled around his body and kept a somber face as he stared at the close door of the van. A breeze picked up a few tuffs of hair and caused the hair on his tail to sway.

Tomoyo had asked him to wait outside with an apologetic smile and a phrase that shouted 'girls only', leaving him outside to freeze his butt off while the girls had their fun. 40 minutes of fun and he was still out there, listening in solitude to their laughter and exclamations.

He had just about had enough of it; clearing his throat he flapped his wings and flew up close to the truck. He shivered as the breeze grew into a cold wind that bit him through his furry coat, causing him to whimper.

'Ladies?' There was an undertone of mumbling then a giggle.

'Tomoyo, Sakura… Helloooooo I think you might be running a bit-', the ringtone of Tomoyo's cell suddenly rang, cutting Kero off mid-sentence, 'Late.' Kero finished with a sigh then muttered 'girls' under his breath.

'Hello, Melin-chan? Oh, is that the time! ... Ok, we'll be right there.' The backdoor slid open and out came Tomoyo, skipping a step and landing elegantly on the ground, shortly followed by Sakura, who stepped down cautiously as she was dressed in a simple pink and white dress cut shorter at the front with a long trail at the back.

On top of that she wore a sweet little rose and pearl denim jacket, with couched on silk cords forming the shape of Sakura flowers. Her 2 inch high platform shoes were a matching shade of pink, , woven with a series of leather straps open at the toes, reaching just below the ankles and around the heels. A series of Sakura motifs were scattered, intermeshing with the fine web of leather, making the shoe appear more delicate than it actually was.

Kero did a somersault in the air, 'Whoa! I guess it's true when they say fine feathers make a fine bird! Tomoyo you have really outdone yourself this time.' He nodded in approval.

She swept a curtsey and smiled at Sakura who looked dazed, still shocked from the treatment she received. 'Glad you approve Kero-chan!'

'I don't know whether I should agree on that one or get mad for being insulted like that.' Sakura shook her head and caused the loose strands, that weren't caught up in the elegant twist, to follow her head's movement.

Tomoyo giggled and began recording Sakura with a content sigh.

'Uh uh, Tomoyo-chan.' Sakura looked pointedly at the clock in the van, 'we're kind of running late.'

Tomoyo made a sad face, then pulled herself together, 'Well, can't be helped then, I'll just have to wait, Ne.' She gave her camera a fond pat then returned it back into the bag.

'Then, let's go.'

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Even as they were approaching the airport, they could see that the airport was jam packed inside and out. Clumps of people swarmed around tourist buses that lined the driveways along the airport, and there was a steady flow of people maneuvering through the rotating doors.

Tomoyo and her body guards moved their way smoothly through the crowds, or rather, the sea of people automatically parted whenever the group of women in black suits approached.

Sakura couldn't blame them, even if they were the nicest people on earth (which Sakura believed they were), an assemblage of them in black, surrounding an elegantly dressed teenaged girl, screamed 'elite' and immediately gave everyone within 5 meters radius an inferior complex.

Tomoyo had offered to walk with her, but she firmly declined, not wanting to attract too much attention to herself anymore than was necessary. Instead, she compromised by letting one bodyguard accompany her at all times.

Inside, the level of the noise almost knocked her off her feet. She was momentarily rendered deaf by the layer upon layer of constant chattering, echoing off the painted walls of the building. All around her she could make out sounds of Japanese being spoken, but without being able to distinguish the exact words. She could hear other languages too, the rolling 'r's from what she assumed was English, the guttural syllables which she identified with German and the pronounced 'k's that sounded like French, they were mixed with the other rapidly spoken sounds that she couldn't quite identify.

Her head spun as the sounds circulated over and over inside her head, invading her thoughts and making her feel light-headed. She tried the best she could to follow the black crowd that glided ahead of her, but fell further and further back as the current flowed against her, and she was pushed and shoved about, recued by her escort more than once.

'Hoee!' An elbow shoved into her hip and she staggered forward, bumping into a lady holding a cup of coffee that was knocked out of her hand as a result of the impact. Sakura watched in horror as the foam cup landed on a man's chest, the contents emptying out onto the expensive looking white suit with a steamy slosh.

Sakura couldn't see the man's eyes from behind his sunglasses, but his head was turned her way. The woman had fled, leaving her in the path of his mercy. He looked like he was studying her, breaking her appearance into sections for analysis. She was making mental calculations of exactly how badly in debt she would find herself just paying for the dry cleaning of that suit, without taking all the other factors like interest and the man's status into consideration.

Hoee! Her head started to gyrate, but she took a good long look at his clothes, supported by his well structured frame, which was enough to tell her about his lifestyle. If he wasn't a movie star, she decided, he was definitely someone important.

And rich! Her eyes lingered at his shoes, afraid to meet his eyes. She was amazed how much light was reflected off those shoes. They were no doubt, brand new and had cost the buyer a small fortune for the quality of the leather. Though she knew nothing about shoes or brands, she had been around Tomoyo long enough to know that shoes like those couldn't be found in your everyday shoe shop.

'Sakura-dono, are you alright?'

Sakura heaved a sigh of relief, immediately feeling better in the company of a familiar face. 'Hai' she said meekly. In her peripheral vision, she saw the man grunt gruffly to another man in his late 70s, also dressed formally, but in a black suit. He had waved whatever the elder had said and turned his head once more in her direction.

'Don't you know how to apologize?' Sakura's head involuntarily snapped up at sound of coming from the white suit man. His voice was captivatingly smooth and deep, but there was a definite sharp edge of annoyance to his words, his Japanese was fluent, but had an accent to it. One that Sakura wasn't able to identify.

It had been a mistake to look up, as Sakura soon found out as the voice wasn't the only attractive quality of this man. It was pretty hard for Sakura to believe that he was human and not an enchanted being. His face was perfectly sculpted, a set jaw and a pronounced nose, his lips appeared to have been taken from a statue of a Greek god, and the parts of his skin that were exposed were flawless.

Her eyes had lingered a bit too long on his face and she immediately lowered her gaze once more to his feet. She tripped over her words in a clumsy apology, it had felt like her tongue were not her own, but under someone else's control.

'Tell whatever agency you're from to pick a model who knows at least the basic common courtesies to replace you.' His voice dripped heavily with sarcasm, 'I thought Japanese people had more manners than that, but I guess I was wrong.'

Sakura felt her cheeks heat up, but kept her head bowed down and didn't reply. The comment was rather harsh, but his words kept her at bay, and made her feel as if she had shamed her country in front of this foreigner.

'Young master, I do believe we had a schedule to keep.'

He gave her a long, hard stare then finally, after what felt like eternity, his dropped his intense gaze and gave a brief nod to his companion and left. He had left her standing there like a fool, humiliated and confused at what had just occurred.

'Sakura-dono, forgive me, I should have intervened. That man had no right to say that to you.'

'No', the word came out as a raspy croak, alarming the bodyguard, and even herself. 'He was right, I should have apologized immediately.'

The last part was whispered, more to sooth her own ruffled nerves than to the bodyguard. She lifted her head with effort, and finally looked up, but the bodyguard's dark sunglasses reminded her too much of the episode that had just taken place and she let her head drop back down.

'Would you like to be taken home? It can be arranged. I'll just have to tell Ojousama (A/N equivalent to 'her ladyship') that you were feeling unwell and couldn't make it to meet Melin-dono's cousin.'

'No, please take me to Tomoyo.'

The bodyguard bowed slightly, 'Forgive me, I have spoken out of line.'

Sakura panicked and let out a string of protests, 'Not at all! And please stop addressing me in such a formal way, I'm just a girl. You are an adult so there is no needs for such formalities, please, speak in whatever way is the most comfortable for you.'

'My life is dedicated to serving my mistress. It is an honor to do my mistress's bidding. Thank you for your concern Sakura-dono, but I am perfectly comfortable with using formal speech.'

The brunette tried again to persuade her to drop the honorifics, but failed miserably. She gave up trying, promising herself that she would continue another time.

'Please don't worry, it didn't impact on me too much, and I definitely won't let this spoil Meilin's plans.'

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I bet you all know who it was that Sakura ran into, right? ^^

Well for those who may still be confused as to who that was here's a hint: read the summary or wait for the next chapter.

Till then

Love RuBonn

P.S. Was this chapter too long?


	3. Meeting you

**I'll meet you again for the second first time**

**Chapter 3**

**Meeting you**

Err! I just discovered another grammatical error . *sighs*

Oh well enjoy the next chapter ^^

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_Previously:_

'Please don't worry, it didn't impact on me too much, and I definitely won't let this spoil Meilin's plans.'

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'Sakura!'

Sakura spotted the two girls in amongst the ring of black, the bodyguard who had accompanied her went up to Tomoyo and bent down to whisper in her ear, Sakura tried to make out what they were talking about but Meilin caught her first.

'Sakura! Where were you?! My gosh, we were so worried about you.'

'Is he here yet?' She frowned and looked around for a black haired boy with Chinese styled clothing on, or someone who was looking lost in Japan. Then she saw him.

He had changed out of his coffee stained suit, which was why she hadn't noticed him at first. He now wore a causal shirt with jeans, but Sakura still couldn't read his expression from behind those sunglasses.

She took a step back trying to put distance between them without being too obvious and offending anyone. _Why is Melin approaching that man? No Meilin! Don't go there, that man is dangerous!_

'Sakura, meet my cousin from Hong Kong, Syaoran. Syaoran, this is Kinomoto Sakura.'

'Nice to meet you', it was unmistakably the same person, the same velvety voice that sent shivers down her spine. She was aware that she was staring, but her body wouldn't listen to her, so she kept staring dumbly.

Syaoran withdrew his hand and turned to the raven haired girl, 'Your friend isn't very responsive, is she?' Sakura coloured deeply, _He must think that I'm somewhat mentally retarded_, but her body still wouldn't move.

'Sakura? Are you feeling alright?' She looked at her friend blankly, and then turned back to Syaoran.

The poor girl finally managed to blurt out,' You're Syaoran.'

He looked at her oddly and sent a questioning look to his cousin, who shrugged and placed a hand on Sakura's forehead.

It was almost as if her touch had sparked a gear within Sakura, because everything she had bottled up inside her suddenly erupted from her tiny mouth.

'I'm very sorry about the coffee incident Li-san, and I'm sorry for not apologizing before, everything was happening at once and I got very confused- I'm so sorry- Meilin has told me a lot about you- I hope me bad manners won't reflect on the other Japanese citizens- Japanese people are usually very polite, if you have met Tomoyo-chan then she is a perfect example- Please as an apology let me invite you to our house or maybe you would like to – mmfg!hmmm mmm?' Meilin had moved her hand from Sakura's forehead to her mouth, trying to stop her from embarrassing herself any further.

'Sakura!'

The brunette calmed down and went several shades darker. 'Sorry.' She said meekly. When she had plucked up the courage to look up, Syaoran had taken his glasses off and was massaging his temples.

Crap!

He looked exhausted and Sakura's rant had just made it worse. _He must REALLY hate me now! _She mentally cursed herself_ Way to go Sakura! Great first impression!_ He opened his eyes and Sakura was taken aback once more. He had the most stunning set of amber eyes that shone with honesty and pride that Sakura had ever seen. Like gems, they glistened when the pinnacles of light from the large glass windows hit them.

To what degree of perfection must this stranger be, before the gods were satisfied with completely outshining her definition for that word? Sakura shook her head and sighed, International model or not, he was already way out of her league with his natural charisma. How could she stand on the same level as him and ask him to be her friend?

It'll be alright.

She could feel her optimism gradually return, _it doesn't matter who Li-san may be, he's still Meilin's cousin, and I promised Meilin that I would help make him feel right at home here._

It'll be alright! Syaoran was surprised when she suddenly faced him with a bright smile, 'I'm sorry about my behavior before', she said with genuine concern, 'But I really hope you enjoy your time in Japan, and if you would like to, would you come to my house this week, before school starts? Or would Li-san like to go sight seeing around Japan? … Then again sightseeing would be best for your first trip to Japan, wouldn't it?'

Meilin smiled gratefully at her pondering friend and prompted her cousin with a nudge.

'It would be my pleasure.'

Her smile widened, 'Then Li-san should go back and rest, please leave the rest to me.'

Syaoran carefully placed his glasses back on and bowed slightly, 'You must excuse me, I'm feeling a bit tired after my plane trip. Good day to you Kinomoto-san', then to Tomoyo, 'Daidouji-san.'

'See you tomorrow then.' Tomoyo nodded in reply, and with that he left with the butler and Meilin.

'HOEEEEEEEE!!!!!' Sakura suddenly exclaimed, and ducked when a few heads turned in her direction.

Tomoyo looked surprised, 'What's wrong?'

'Tomorrow? But I arranged to meet Yukito-san to practice on the dance tomorrow, it would be rude to cancel either one of those meetings, what should I do…?'

Tomoyo laughed gently, 'It's alright, you can just invite Li-san to watch you practice, and it would be a good cultural experience.'

'Hoe~.' Sakura anticipated the disasters tomorrow would bring and slid to the ground.

'Sakura-chan?!?!'

She sighed, 'Tomoyo-chan, I don't know how much more embarrassment I can take.'

The raven haired teen shook her head laughing, sending her dark waves rippling down her back. 'Sakura-chan, you're worrying too much. It'll be fine tomorrow, I'm sure of that.' She offered a hand to her friend and helped her up.

'I sure hope so.'

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That's all for now folks

RuBonn


	4. A dream

**I'll meet you again for the second first time**

**Chapter 4**

**A Dream**

She was running, to meet the person she adored most aside from her family. Fujitaka, Touya and her mother Nadeshiko she loved dearly, but for this special person it was a different type of love.

His silhouette became sharper as she approached him, his silver hair shone with the moon's brilliance in the dimly lit street, and his slender back was dark and lonely. A long shadow was cast out in front of him, stretching just beyond her reach. She called out his name hoping to dispel some of that empty loneliness; it saddened her to see him like that.

He turns slowly, letting her know he had heard her call, but her heart plunged when she saw his eyes. The gentle smile he wore on his face never touched his eyes, they were lost, trapped in another time. The beauty he holds is so dazzling, but at the same time, so cold and distant.

She murmurs his name sadly, her pace slowing to a halt. Her feelings would never reach him as she was not the one he was waiting for. Suddenly another figure flew out, cutting in between them and takes Yukito by the hand, taking him away with them.

And for the brief moment the figure turned, from the shadowed features on the face, Sakura swore she saw a flash of amber.

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'HOEEEE!!!!!'

*CRASH*

The coffee in his hands vibrated with the house's tremors, he sighed and took a sip, it seems like the little monster had finally woken up. About time too, he glanced sideways at his friend who looked up at the ceiling with a troubled expression.

Yukito had his head tilted at an angle that had his features appear more delicate than usual. The subtle curves from his profile down to his elongated neck were broken only by the sharp line of his long lashes. Yukito never ceased to amaze him with his fragile exterior, a small curve tuned at the corners of his mouth, but reality was cruel. That innocent mask actually concealed a food consuming beast that almost eats the Kinomotos to a state of poverty every time he visits. The amazing thing was the fact that he never gains an ounce despite all the calories he absorbs.

'Don't worry', Touya closed his eyes and sipped his coffee, 'You'll get used to it after spending your mornings like that for a decade.'

He looked surprised then smiled softly at Touya. 'Then it must have been hard on you for those 14 years, worrying time after time like that.'

Touya chose not to speak but instead gave a begrudging grunt in reply.

'I should change soon; Li-san will be arriving shortly. Meilin's cousin, was it?'

Touya sniffed in disgust at the mentioning of Syaoran's name, 'You don't have to do this. It was that scatterbrain's fault that she was so disorganized. Ouch!' He rubbed his jabbed hip sorely.

'Good morningYukito-san!' Sakura smiled sweetly, 'H-have you eaten yet? Would you like me to cook up some pancakes for you?'

'You mean the suspicious items that you serve on a plate calling it foo- ouch! Go file your elbow or something.' He clutched his side protectively and turned to Yukito, 'You see what I have to live with?'

'Onii-san!'

'Sakura's right Touya, you shouldn't talk about your little sister like that, besides, Sakura-chan makes the best pancakes, I would be glad to have some.'

'Hai!' Sakura stuck her tongue out at her brother when Yukito wasn't looking.

'Reeeeeeal mature.' He rolled his eyes as she repeated her action, 'Yuki, I know you're really nice and all, but willing to risk your life for the sake of courtesy is going overboard.' A sack of flour flew out, landing on the table with a powdery smack.

'Oops.' She went to retrieve the packet, 'My. Hand. Slipped.' She flashed a smile and went back into the kitchen.

'I swear, one day you'll find me dead in my own home at the hands of my monstrous sister.'

'I heard that!'

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Syaoran straightened his tie and sighed, they had only just unpacked half of the luggage that they had brought, and were already expected to attend something troublesome. He took one look at the boxes and sighed again, they had been sure to avoid the pink taped boxes that his sisters had force onto him. Together, Wei and he would only have had two manageable bags that contained their necessities, the rest they could buy later or have sent, seeing as they were only staying for 6 months. However his _dear_ sisters had other ideas and gave him enough clothes to last at least two years in an uninhabited country and extras for costumes to put on plays, he shook his head, no way in hell that was ever going to happen.

It was tiring enough having to change clothes four or more times a day at work, have a whole crew buzzing around all day and fussing about you. If it weren't for his mother he would have never even given the job so much as a glance.

But it was his deceased father's passion.

Not his, he decided to loosen the tie a little and unbuttoned his cuffs. He was allowed to relax right? This WAS meant to be a holiday, to spend some time with his cousin whom he hadn't seen for years. Or really it was a good cover up for his real wish to escape the glaring spotlight of the entertainment world. It wasn't that he didn't really want to see his cousin again, but it would have never crossed his mind till he had matured some, into a stage where he would reminisce.

Meilin's character was slightly quirky, she was sweet but sometimes her overflowing bursts of energy really wore him out. He loved her, but it would take a lot more convincing till she finally realizes he only saw her as a little sister, and that she had misinterpreted the promise he made to her when they were children.

He had promised to stay by her side and protect her, simply because he felt obliged to and it would please their parents. But over the years, she had looked back onto that promise and recalled it as a proposal for the future.

A marriage proposal. Syaoran paused with hair gel in his hand and took a good look in the mirror. A charming young man stared back with intense eyes like liquid amber, but there was a certain dullness, like the life had been sapped from them. _Or a life he had yet to find_. He set about applying the gel to slick his hair back.

Life. Suddenly the face of the girl who spilt coffee on him popped up, her eyes were full of the word's meaning. _Life_, it wasn't like Meilin's inconsistent ups and downs, nor was it like the controlled feel Wei gives off. Her eyes were content and happy, like Daidouji-san's. No, her's were longing, for something that she knew she would never have.

The face in the mirror frowned, 'Wei.'

The butler's footsteps were soft and muffled in what Syaoran guessed were slippers that his sisters had packed for them, after researching on Japanese customs, but he had his hand in his hair and couldn't look down.

'Yes young master?'

'What is the name of that girl, the one with emerald eyes- who's house we're going to today.'

'I do believe it was Sakura, sir.'

'Sakura.' The name left a small tingle on his tongue. An unfamiliar feeling that felt alien to him, and he recoiled at the thought.

'Is there anything you want on her Master Syaoran?'

He dismissed it with a wave, 'No I was just wondering, thank you Wei. Let's go, I'm done.'

'Miss Meilin, sir?'

'I suppose we have to wait then don't we? Oh well, might as well. She may even relieve us of some of that junk.' His eyes fell on the glittery goldfish slippers that Wei held in his hands which, he was sure, came from those evil pink boxes.

*_Bzzz*_ It took a moment for Syaoran to recognize the sound of their new door bell, being accustomed to the hollow sound of bells back at the mansion.

'Ah, Miss Meilin always had impeccable timing.'

Syaoran agreed, 'My eyes had just about had enough of those.' He eyed the sequined nightmare with distaste as a chilling shiver ran down his spine.

'Actually, I think it would be kinder to burn that, than to let Meilin set eyes on them.'

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*_Ding Dong_* Sakura perked up at the sound and gave a throaty 'I'll get it,' almost tripping in her kimono and breaking the fan she was practicing with.

'Don't get too excited or you'll tear the house down with you,' Touya's voice floated from the living room, where he was helping them set up the props on the small homemade stage.

She stuck her tongue out, but then remembering that he couldn't see her, let it slide with a 'will not' and rushed for the door.

She could make out a shadowed figure and held her breath, hoping that the single figure belonged to her best friend, and that she would have time to get her act together before her guest of honor arrived. And sure enough, standing outside on their doorstep was Tomoyo with her usual smile.

'Good morning Sakura-chan.' she said as Sakura opened the door, holding out a pair of slippers for her. 'You look absolutely wonderful in that kimono!'

'Thank you Tomoyo-chan.' She blushed slightly, 'Tomoyo-chan looks very nice in that outfit too! Did you make it?'

'Hai.' The young heiress smoothed out the nonexistent creases in her dark blue and white dress and smiled, 'But I still think that Sakura-chan looks really cute in that kimono.'

'Hoee.' Sakura shook her head stubbornly, 'Come on in, Yukito-san is already inside.'

Tomoyo continued smiling, 'We were practicing.' Sakura insisted, flustered about the bright smile.

'That's great, would I be able to see you practice?'

'Of course! Please come this way.' They passed by the living room and Tomoyo gave a polite greeting before Sakura took her hand and directed her to the garden where they were practicing.

Yukito and Tomoyo exchanged brief greetings, and then they got to work; Yukito as a mentor, Sakura attempting to mimic his graceful moves, and Tomoyo recording her every move with a look of euphoria.

_I better not muck up and make a bigger fool of myself._ Sakura cringed and missed the next few beats.

_It's going to be harder than I thought…._

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Thank you everyone who reads this story and faves or puts it on alert! It really motivates me and makes me really happy (lolz, yup that's how sad my life is), but really…

THANK YOU! 3 I'll try my best to make it worth the time ^^ (EMPHASIS on **try** ^^)

RuBonn


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